October 6th 2005

Michael Ray Aquino, former Philippines national Police officer, was indicted today for conspiring with a former FBI intelligence analyst.  He passed classified information to current and former officials in the Philippines.  The indictments include one count of conspiracy with a maximum of five years incarceration and one count of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign official which carries a ten year sentence.

The 39 year old Aquino was arrested on September 10^th at his residence in Queens N.Y. according to Fox News.  He is suspected of being the “go between” for the illegal activity.  The Filipino national had an expired visa and remains in federal custody at the Passaic County jail. 

His alleged accomplice, 46 year old Leandro Aragoncillo was also taken into custody.  Leandro worked as an FBI analyst at Fort Monmouth Information Technology Center (FMITC) in Monmouth County since July 2004 

The spy ring may have began in July of 2000.  According to ABC News, at that time, Joseph Estrada, then president of the Philippines, came to the White House for a state visit with President Clinton.  

Official said Estrada and his aides used offers of small amounts of money and appeals to their ethnic loyalty to recruit Leandro, what at the time was half a million dollars in debt.

Some of the information may have included policy decisions and military support decisions.  Aragoncillo later told Philippine television that he was eager to stay on in the white house and work as an aid to Dick Cheney.  He continued to feed secret files to the Philippines even after President Estrada was forced from office on corruption charges. 

Officials said Aragoncillo passed several lie detector tests.  These tests are routinely given to individuals with top secret clearances. According to Philippine Star, Philippine Government Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye told reporters “We consider it the business of the US government and we are not making any further comment, it’s up to them to do what is necessary. It’s their own breach of security."

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By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication Staff Writer

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Keywords and misspellings: Phillipines Philipino Aqino